


Forgive Me?

by Mony (Mony_Writes)



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Canon Era, Drabble, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:14:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25728010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mony_Writes/pseuds/Mony
Summary: The strikes over, but there's still one thing weighing on Jack's mind.----This was inspired by the fact that I'M SALTY JACK AND CRUTCHIE DIDN'T HUG AT THE END OF LIVSIES??? Crutchie was basically Jacks entire motivation for Act two and we were robbed. So here's the scene I wanted to happen.
Relationships: Crutchie & Jack Kelly
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	Forgive Me?

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk/prompt me over on my Tumblr @wide-eyed--wonderer !! And, as always comments/feedback are welcomed and appreciated!!

“Hey, Crutchie?” 

“Yeah, Jack?”

“I’m sorry.” 

Crutchie sits up from where he was lying down in the penthouse. It’s the morning after the strike, and Crutchie knows that he can’t (or rather, Jack, Race and the boys won’t let him) sell, but he’s up early out of habit. And Jacks up because he’s gotta get downstairs and start selling soon. The circulation bell is set to ring any minute. 

“Jack, what are you sorry for?” He has an idea of course, but he needs Jack to confirm it before he can tell him how wrong he is. 

“For letting you get taken to the refuge Crutchie? Ain’t it obvious?” 

“Jack, you won the strike, you got me back, it’s ok” 

“I almost lost you.” Jacks voice came out as a whisper as if he’s afraid to say it any louder in case the universe decides Jack needs more punishment, after everything he’s been through. 

(And, though Crutchie would never admit it to Jack in a million years, the Refuge isn’t known for its kindness. His assumption wouldn’t be too far off if he’d been in there another couple of days.) 

“I’m your brother Crutchie. It’s my job to protect you, and I failed. I’m sorry. You can - I don’t deserve you.” 

Crutchie drags himself across the penthouse so he can be closer to Jack, and look him in the eye when he tells him, 

“Jack, it’s you I don’t deserve. You gave up everything for me countless times. And I know you're gonna buy extra papers today to cover my board for tonight all by yourself because you feel some sort of guilt over it. But I came to the strike, Jack. I stayed. I committed. I coulda hidden up here. Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t cart me off to Brooklyn the second they told you they wouldn’t be participating in the strike to try and keep me safe.” Jack cracked a smile at that, which Crutchie was gonna count as a win. “You won the strike, you got me out. Jackie, what happened, it isn’t your fault, and I never thought it was.” 

“Thanks, Crutchie.” Jack looked down at his hands and started nervously rubbing the ink stain in his thumb from the sketch he’d done the night before. “Could you, could you just say you forgive me though.” 

Crutchie had never heard Jack sound so small, so unsure of himself in his life. 

“If that’s what you need, then if course I forgive you, Jack.”

Distantly, the boys are aware of the bell ringing and the sounds of the other newsies getting rowdy for the day below them. But right now, all that mattered in the world was the two of them in their penthouse in the sky.


End file.
